Spamware is software designed for sending spam in ways that hide the sender, attempt to circumvent spam filters, or which contains features only of use to spammers.

Spamware is normally developed "by criminals for criminals" specifically for illegal use, often containing features such as the ability to falsify email headers to hide the true source of the spam, to insert fraudulent headers, to use dozens or hundreds of mail servers simultaneously, and to make use of proxies (trojan-infected computers). Features which no normal bulk email program would ever need and no legitimate buk email sender could ever use legally.

Spamware and United States Law:

Selling or distributing software "whose principal purpose is to facilitate unsolicited bulk e-mail" is illegal in 7 US States, and some of these states have Long Arm Statutes which means a spamware vendor or host places himself within the state's legal jurisdiction by selling or distributing spamware on a server either based in, or with transit to/from the state.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to sell, give or otherwise distribute or possess with the intent to sell, give or distribute software which (i) is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; (ii) has only limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to facilitate or enable the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; or (iii) is marketed by that person or another acting in concert with that person with that person's knowledge for use in facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information.

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Unsolicited bulk electronic mail (e-mail); personal jurisdiction; Virginia Computer Crimes Act. Amends Virginia's long-arm statute to establish that “use” of a computer or “computer network” located in the Commonwealth shall constitute an act in the Commonwealth. The bill also (i) expands the definitions of "computer services" and "without authority" and provides a new definition for "electronic mail service provider" in the Virginia Computer Crimes Act; (ii) makes it the crime of computer trespass to (a) falsify or forge e-mail message transmission information in connection with unsolicited bulk e-mail and (b) sell, give, distribute, or possess software whose principal purpose is to facilitate unsolicited bulk e-mail; (iii) provides that e-mail service providers shall not be liable for actions they take to prevent unsolicited bulk e-mail; (iv) provides civil relief to an injured person, other than an e-mail service provider, for actual damages or the lesser of $10 for each unsolicited bulk e-mail message or $25,000 per day and states that the injured person shall not have a cause of action against an e-mail service provider which merely transmits the e-mail message; (v) provides civil relief to an injured e-mail service provider for actual damages or the greater of $10 for each unsolicited bulk e-mail message or $25,000 per day; and (vi) cross-references the Virginia long-arm statute in the Virginia Computer Crimes Act to help ensure the establishment of personal jurisdiction in Virginia's courts. The purpose of the bill is to curb a practice known as "spamming," the sending of unsolicited e-mail to unsuspecting recipients.

A person is guilty of the computer crime:
(c) When a person sells, gives or otherwise distributes or possesses with the intent to sell, give or distribute software which:

(i) is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information;

(ii) has only limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to facilitate or enable the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; or

(iii) is marketed by that person or another acting in concert with that person's knowledge for use in facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission
information or other routing information.

(a-5) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to sell, give, or otherwise distribute or possess with the intent to sell, give, or distribute software which (1) is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; (2) has only a limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to facilitate or enable the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; or (3) is marketed by that person or another acting in concert with that person with that person's knowledge for use in facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information.

E. It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, give, or otherwise distribute or possess with the intent to sell, give or distribute software which:

1. Is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information;

2. Has only limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to facilitate or enable the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; or

3. Is marketed by that person or another acting in concert with that person and with that person's knowledge for use in facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information.

(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly sell, give or otherwise distribute or possess with the intent to sell, give or distribute software that: (1) Is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; (2) has only limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to facilitate or enable the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; or (3) is marketed by that person or another acting in concert with that person with that person's knowledge for use in facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information.

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of unlawful transmission of electronic mail if he:
(2) Sells, gives or otherwise distributes or possesses with the intent to sell, give or distribute computer software which: (i) is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; (ii) has only limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to facilitate or to enable the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information; or (iii) is marketed by that person or another person acting in concert with that person with that person's knowledge for the use in facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information.

73.6. Unsolicited Bulk Electronic Mail
B. It is unlawful for any person to use a computer or computer network without authority with the intent to falsify or forge electronic mail transmission information or other routing information in any manner in connection with the transmission of unsolicited bulk electronic mail through or into the computer network of an electronic mail service provider or its subscribers. It is also unlawful for any person knowingly to sell, give, or otherwise distribute or possess with the intent to sell, give, or distribute software which is any of the following:
(1) primarily designed or produced for the purpose of facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information.
(2) has only limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to facilitate or enable the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information.
(3) marketed by that person or another acting in concert with that person with that person's knowledge for use in facilitating or enabling the falsification of electronic mail transmission information or other routing information.